Here’s my very own House of Creativity, all decked out for Valentine’s Day! Wouldn’t it be great if I could make smoke rings in the shape of white hearts come from the chimney? (Someone should invent a Valentine heart chimney insert!). Right now, snow is pouring down outside my window, big heavy flakes, a little bit heart-shaped, filling the sky . . . Of course, there is perfect music for this . . .
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
See my windows full of hearts? Our house is at the end of a long street; people come to a stop sign here and face my house, just like this. Because of all the one-way streets, pretty soon everyone has to pass this stop sign in order to get where they’re going on this island. ♥ I feel a certain responsibility to provide a some entertainment for people when they get here; it’s perfect for the short attention span! So I decorated my windows with leftover spray snow from Christmas. I made heart templates, little and big, from a piece of clear acetate. I’ve also made templates from cardboard, but they get a little soggy after about the twentieth heart! You could probably do it all faster with heart doilies!
We got a Valentine from a very special person yesterday! She knows who she is! (Thank you 1000 times ♥) Here it is, on our kitchen wall this morning, before the sun came up. This will be here from now on, every Valentine’s Day, forever! ♥ I love it!
What, I asked myself, can I give the girls this snowy Saturday that has it All? It needs to be sweet and Valentiney, it needs to include chocolate (yes, of course it does), it needs to be delicious enough to give away to someone they love, but simple enough so it’s not a lifetime in the kitchen; it needs to look good on a tea table; it needs to make the kitchen smell good; and it would be very handy if the ingredients were in my cupboard NOW. I thought about my chewy, bendy chocolaty Brownies (so here’s the recipe for those, particularly appreciated by kids, in case you are so inclined ♥) but I was looking for the true Valentine coup de grace, I wanted something heart-shaped. And, so, Voila!
ORANGE and CHOCOLATE CHIP TEA BISCUITS!
I love the flavor of orange with chocolate . . . this is an easy-to-make heart-shaped tea biscuit with melty chocolate chips, the perfect little thing to put on a saucer next to a cup of tea.
Here’s how it’s done; a concise recipe will be waiting for you at the bottom of this post, (if you make it through this whole thing 🙂 and actually, that’s not all that’s waiting for you at the bottom!)
Preheat the oven to 400°; put softened unsalted butter and cream cheese into a deep bowl . . .
Add grated orange zest (P.S. I hope you have one of these wonderful zesters! They’re like razor blades you drag lightly across the fruit, easy, painlessly, gathering the zest in the tray; then pop into your recipe! Best new invention since a MacBook Pro!)
Excuse me, time out: Water came to a boil, need to stop and fill my cup!
OK, toss the orangy goodness into the bowl . . .
Use a hand mixer to beat everything together until smooth . . . mmm, cream cheese, butter and orange . . .
Scrape down the batter in the bowl . . .
Add sour cream for richness and tender crumb. BTW, Don’t you think that when the world lost Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald that an overall mistake was made? Don’t you want to say, please, put them back? They left us music divine.
♥ H E A V E N ♥
Stir in two tablespoons of granulated sugar . . .
Gradually beat in a little flour until well blended . . . Oh-oh, check out the top of the refrigerator, we have company . . .
Speaking of Valentine’s! ♥ ♥ ♥
More beating of the flour . . .
Add mini chocolate chips — if you like walnuts, which I do, you can add them here too . . . which I would if we hadn’t run out! Almost had all the ingredients; but trust me, with them or without them, the word is Y U M.
Stir well, my little darlings . . .
Put a heaping tsp. of dough into each cup of an ungreased miniature muffin pan (I took this photo to show you what a heaping tsp. looks like) . . . I used my black-iron heart muffin pan, which I’ve had for a hundred years — I’ve truly gotten my money’s worth out of it! When it’s not in use, it makes my pantry wall look cute by hanging there. I know a secret about this muffin pan, I’ll tell you at the end of this post!
You want to fill the cups completely down into the little points, around the curved tops, so you have good shapes, and level the surface of the dough.
And bake 15-17 minutes until light brown . . .
Now look who showed up . . . Girl Kitty! Speaking of heaven!
We are complete: we have Beauty on the table, Beast is on the fridge, biscuits are in the oven, and all’s right with the world.
♥ ♥ ♥
Have a basket ready, line it with a clean tea towel . . . pop the biscuits right out of the pan into the basket, you don’t have to let them cool first.
Beautiful and delicious, they can bake as you put on the tea water, and be done by the time the tea has steeped . . . the orange is what you smell first, the chocolate melts on your tongue, and you are happy. ♥
I’m only tellin’ it how it is.
I tried them with this delicious new honey I put on everything these days (it came from Door County by the way, Pat, and all you others who know about and love that neck of the woods — you have the market cornered when it comes to butter burgers and honey!) — but I have to say, although it was delicious, it was gilding the lily; these tea biscuits are good just as they are, straight from the oven; you don’t need butter, you don’t need jam or syrup; you need nothing more. If you are looking for additional cuteness, and who isn’t, you can always sift over a little powdered sugar!
Serve one of these tea biscuits next to a cup of breakfast tea; put them in a basket for a tea party; or if you have a fun Valentine’s tin — they are a wonderful surprise, arranged on a lace doily and dropped by a friend’s house.
And, the secret I had about this muffin pan? Are you ready? OK, this pan, along with the heart-shaped Emma Bridgewater tin in the picture above — they are my Valentine gift to one of you. We’re having another drawing, and even though every one of you is totally deserving, one lucky girl is going to walk away with these two memories of Valentine’s Day 2012! Just leave a comment below (click on the tiny gray letters that say “comment” and you’ll be entered! I figure if I do this often enough and long enough, sooner or later, every one of you will win something with love from the heart of the home and me! That’s my plan.
♥ ♥ ♥
SATURDAY MORNING MARTHA’S VINEYARD
XXXXXOOOOO
Have you heard Paul McCartney’s new Valentine song? Go get a tissue, this is wonderful. I hear love for his new wife in this song, but I think I hear a bit of yearning for Linda too. ♥ Sad. 🙁 But Beautiful.
Bye for now girls . . . have a wonderful weekend!
ORANGE & CHOCOLATE CHIP TEA BISCUITS
- 1/4 c. unsalted butter, softened
- 1 – 3oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
- grated zest of one orange
- 1/2 c. sour cream
- 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
- 1 c. self-rising flour
- 1/3 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 c. chopped walnuts (opt.)
Preheat oven to 400°. In a deep, medium-sized bowl, using a hand mixer on slow speed, beat together butter, cream cheese, and zest until smooth. Scrape down the bowl, add sour cream and sugar and beat well. Gradually beat in flour until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Put a heaping tsp. of dough in each cup of an ungreased miniature muffin tin (heart-shaped if you have it, but just as delicious if it’s round), filling the space completely and leveling the surface of the dough. Bake 15-17 minutes until light brown. Pop biscuits out into a basket lined with a tea towel … cover to keep warm. Can be reheated. Makes a dozen tea biscuits. Make these for you and someone you love. ♥
Love the heart shaped miuffin tin. Would love to make biscuits with my 2 year old granddaughter, Emma!
You are truly the best Susan.I look forward to your cheerful words every day! thanks for all you do for us!Happy Valentines Day!XXOO
Oh my goodness, those look delicious! I am so envious of your snow today! Everyone here is saying, “isn’t the sunshine wonderful?” and I’m thinking, no it isn’t! I want snow!
I will wait to make these until I win the muffin tin :-). Thank you for the opportunity and for this wonderful blog.
I will go listen to Paul McCartney now….love…..
I want tea and biscuits now! The muffin pan is adorable. I love anything and everything that is heart-shaped. Happy Valentine’s Day, Susan! Much love to you…
You too Marcia!
I have my heart shaped tin and these will be made these weekend – sounds SO yummie! Thank you. I have on my to buy list Paul McCartney’s new CD “Kisses on the Bottom”…a collection of standards he grew up listening to – and he is accompanied by Diana Krall on piano…what could be better. Hope the Valentine song is on there too! Enjoy your day. Off to San Diego Historial Museum to view the new Titanic exhibit!
That sounds interesting, tell us how it was!
Linda,Do you know if it’ll be there in 6 wks?I’ll be there visiting my son-in-law and Grandbaby Madison then.I hope so. I’m a Titanic nut!!
It was a great artifact exhibition – very well done and extremely interesting info. It started yesterday at the Museum in Balboa Park and runs through September 9th so you should be able to see it.
Hi, Susan – I was just thinking…I wish I had that pan and there you go! The secret ingredient at my house for just about everything is cat hair! I don’t suppose that would add very much to the biscuits (smile). Thanks for sharing so much with us…we really do appreciate it!
Karen L.
This recipe is what I will take for our Valentine gathering at work, they will be perfect! Love your black and white valentines (Jack & Girl) ** the perfect companions for cooking!!
Oh, Yay! Not only a yummy recipe, but a giveaway too! Hee, hee, I just love your kitchen “helpers”. I have 4 of them, under my feet whenever I am doing ANYTHING in the kitchen. Even if it’s just getting a glass of water, they appear from nowhere, on the chance that some kind of tasty treat might just be given to them – which they are often right about. How can I resist their cute faces. Sigh – I love my furbabies. XO Helena
Susan, I have three granddaughters that would love to have the tea biscuits served to them at the tea party that I’m having for them Valentine Day. The muffin pan is adorable. Your home always looks so cozy and warm. Loved looking at the snow falling outside.I live in the deep south and rarely see snow so I enjoyed seeing your snow today. Love your kitties too. They are so pretty! Hope you have a great Valentines Day!
Wow, I can’t wait to try your recipe for the Orange & Chocolate Chip Tea Biscuits, they look delicious! I can smell them baking now. What a great idea to use the left over snow spray to put white hearts on your windows for Valentine’s Day! Very clever and oh so cute. And the special valentine you received from a “special person” is beautiful. I hung my lovebird dishtowel on my oven door handle and it looks quite festive. Perfect for Valentine’s Day and so easy to buy in your on-line store! Thanks for yet another warm and cozy blog. Give Girl Kitty and Jack a kiss on their cute little heads for me. 🙂
Happy to do it!!
Always love dropping in
and sharing your cozy world,
even just for a few minutes.
I had to laugh; your first
“beast’s” little black nose
is shaped like a heart!
Happy Valentine’s Day,
dear Susan!
xx Suzanne
oh! they are too sweet!!!!!
here (close to paris) we had snow that stayed all week!
It’s so cold!
I have just made Kougelhopf for tomorrow’s breackfast. Niam!
have a happy valentine!
Hi Susan,
Happy Valentines Day to you and Joe. Thank you for all of the photos. They are such fun to look at. I can’t wait to try the tea buiscuits. They look yummy.
My daughter and I went to the “Valentine Auction” at UNR last night. They have it every other year as a fund raiser for the Fine Arts Department. Local and student artists donate a juried Valentine themed art piece. Lots of people, food, and ofcourse art. The auction went well and everyone had a great time.
We are envious of your snow. It is almost spring and we have such a pitiful amount. Your video was appreciated!
Well, the oven is warmed up so have to get busy in the kitchen.
xoxo Pam
What a treat your blog is! I save the perfect music you choose so I can play when I don’t have a new entry to savor — I’m off to make scrumptious looking muffins!
Hi Susan,
Happy Valentines to you and Joe, you 2 are so Cute Together !!! The snow is falling here and it finally looks like winter, the perfect kinda day to bake. Love , Love , Love the cats they are so cute. Take Care and Have a Great day. Much Happiness to you on Valentines day !!!! 🙂
Happy Love Month, My friend.
A co-worker gave me a 2012 SB calendar yesterday. I already had one but was happy to share your homey lovliness at work. I have been checking you out on Pinterest and have been pinning your best bits as well. If you need some more imspiration, you should pop over & look. It’ll give you great feedback on what we love the most. Love the give-aways. Thanks for being so generous.
I need to find out about this Pinterest stuff. I understand you need an invitation? Is that right?
To me Jack looks like Hercule Poirot with that ‘stash of his . . . and don’t you have just a beautiful life! Your appreciation of it shows in every single thing you do . . . and you inspire us all . . .
The biscuits are perfect for Valentine’s Day (and any other day). Thanks for the recipe. Love the interested looks on Girl Kitty and Jack’s face. Cute!!!. Happy Valentine’s Day, Susan.
Love that pan! I also love watching that Jack! He is so cute and fun! Thanks for sharing.
Hi Susan, I Love your blog! Always fun to read! The biscuits look yummy, they’ll be fun to try! Thanks for the recipe, and thanks for a chance for the muffin tin! It’s so cute!
What a delicious recipe for Valentine morning. Citrus and chocolate are my favorite mix. The heart shaped muffin tin is the perfect addition. Thanks for sharing!
Wishing you a lovely weekend, Susan! I just get so tickled when I see Jacks little moustache. He lives up to his French name Jacque! Loving your Valentine decor, too.
Hearts of Love,
Julie
Hi, Susan! I love your blog and love, love, love your books! What is you new book about? My favorite is the Fall book. I would love to have that darling heart biscuit pan to bake yummy things with my grandgirl. Have a great day and enjoy the snow!
My new book is a Breakfast Book!
Can’t wait!
happy valentine’s ! love the idea of heart shaped biscuits and a cuppa.
Love the” hearts of snow” in your windows! The whole blog I’m thinking, I’d love to make those heart shaped muffins but how will I with no heart shaped pan? Then, right there at the end is the answer, you are so generously giving one away and all I have to do is win!!!
Easy! 🙂
As always, your blog brings a smile! Thanks for sharing your yummy tea biscuits (oven is preheating as I type), those sweet kitties, and the snow. Oh, how I miss snow! I can sympathize with Kathy R.’s comment. It is 63
degrees and breezy here, but I’m longing for a little snow. Happy Weekend to you and Joe:)
We’ve had a very warm winter, it today is just beautiful, it’s just falling and falling . . . that’s why I put it here, so people who don’t have snow, get a little bit of it!
♥♥♥ Happy Valentine’s Day! 2/14 is also my anniversary…. Double whammy of romance! Thus, I love anything heart-shaped. Can’t wait to try making those tea biscuits! ♥♥♥
Happy Anniversary!
Oh, do the orange/chocolate chip tea muffins ever look good!!! Thanks for the recipe! Will have to try baking them though think I will look for some organic oranges to grate…also, if one were out of chocolate chips, would chopped craisins do? I’m envious of your snow–my BFF Sandy told me when we talked last evening that they might get snow in Boston today. Snow is predicted here for Monday but predicted to go south of us. 🙁 I think this is the “winter-that-never-was”! Yumm, you have some of that good Door County honey! I think it is so good because the bees feast on the cherry blossoms in the spring. We keep thinking we should go there when the cherry trees are blooming some spring but then the thought of going in the fall for the harvested cherries wins over! Plus it is quieter in the fall and the leaves are gorgeous! (No, I do NOT work for the Wisconsin tourism company! LOL) That reminds me, I have cherries from there in the freezer as well as dried cherries. Hmmm…I might have to make your recipe for the orange/chocolate tea muffins AND some cherry muffins with a dribble of almond-flavored powder sugar glaze, too. Whoops, are we still dieting??? LOL 🙂 And those pictures of the kitties are so cute. Like I said before (and Sandy–stop laughing when you read this), they tempt me to get a kitten though don’t know what the schnauzers would think about that…
I can’t help it, I am laughing..
Thank you for another inspiring blog…you know how to add just the right touch to each of our days. I am flying home to Arizona from Maryland on Monday and plan on making those tea biscuits to give for little Valentiness on Tuesday. Blessings to you.
My heart is bursting with love for this blog – from snow ♥s in the windows to tea biscuits with love! Heaven, I’m in heaven sitting here with my tea, you and me, and the rest of the GFs! Happy lovely Saturday!!! xoxo♥ (pretend the ♥ is really giant sized!) Oops, forgot to say THANK YOU!!!
xoxo Joanie!
I love when Jack gets his Errol Flynn on!
Love that pan, we need smell-a-blog, can taste them look great. Little snow here in Lancster,N.Y.[east of Buffalo] very little snow this year and very little sun,your blogs make the day bright[pan would look great in my kitchen, hint, hint[ Have a great Day!!!!!!!
I am a newbie to your blog – its a treasure I can’t believe I’ve missed until now. I am a tea lover and would love to bake tea biscuits in the heart shaped pan – and make extras to give away as a gift in the heart-shape tin. Thanks for sharing.
Happy Valentine’s Day Susan! Mine and my husband’s wedding anniversary is the 21st so we tend to not do anything on the 14th but your post inspired me! Perhaps I’ll make him the tea biscuits for breakfast Valentine’s Day morning 🙂
Good morning! You, Joe, Jack and Girl Kitty are my valentines! Thank you for sharing them with us! We have about 4 inches of snow and sunshine. A perfect winter day! I’ll be baking those sweet treats today. Thanks for all of your inspirations!
Happy Valentine’s day, Susan!
Sometime soon, I will send you a picture of my very special boy, Spikey. He’s a lion’s head rabbit, house bunny, ruler of the house and such a love.
He doesn’t eat bisquits but Ron my other special boy does and he’d love to see this recipe baked in that darling heart pan:)
So great to have you keep reminding us of the simple, heart-filling things and music. Now, when Ron hears music coming from the computer he says, “oh, you’re on Susan Branch’s site”. And yes, I am.
Many hearts to you and Joe.
June
xoxo! Hello to Ron!
Thank you for sharing your kitchen kitties, wonderful recipe, and the snippet of snowflakes~ and all to the background music of Louis and Ella! I finished my time spent with you listening to Paul McCartney, (sniffle, sniff:), and reminiscing days gone by….Have a wonderful rest-of-the weekend!
Yummy, yummy! They sure look tasty, Susan. We had a wee bit of snow overnight here in NY, but it’s melted already. What a strange winter we’re having!
Have a wonderful day.
xo
Claudia
Happy Valentines Day to you! Love the pan and visiting your blog daily.
Thank you for all you do 🙂
Lynn
Happy Valentine’s Day. I have been under the weather in hair stuck to your face kind of way. You made my day warm and toasty. Going to try to make the scones today. Hearts.
Feel better soon!
I would love to add the heart muffin tin to my collection of iron wear. My granddaughter, Brook-Glen would like the cats! (As if a dog, Romeo, a cat, August, a guinea pig, Pig-Pig, and a bird, Tap Dancer aren’t enough!)
Always room for one more!
Would love to win!
I also love that pan. The directions sound EASY and wonderful. I will give it a try and I bet they will be almost as yummy round instead of heart shaped. But I will have to let you know. We had a touch of snow but it was gone by 9AM but its still a bake something to go with tea day. (And invite a friend). Happy Happy Valentines Day to you and Joe.
Oh, my! Yummy post! Chuckled at Beauty and the Beast!!!!!! Thank you for the recipe and the opportunity to win the wonderful Bridgewater tin and the heart pan. Can’t wait to use it to make the ORANGE & CHOCOLATE CHIP TEA BISCUITS!!!!!
Made the muffins, scones, biscuits:D they would be even better in the heart shaped pan. Pick me.
I will be making the tea biscuits Valentine’s Day morning. And much belatedly thanks for the post on Rummikub. How I have reached my 50’s without ever playing this game? My husband and I now play every Saturday and Sunday afternoon! It’s become our new favorite.
Fun!!! We love it too!
Thank you once again for sharing a slice of your warm, cozy life and adding inspiration to my day! Such a sight it must be to come to the stop sign in front of your home and be greeted by all the white hearts in the windows that whisper out “Happy Valentines Day to all!” You’re sure doing your part to brighten days and fill hearts! The muffins look delicious. I’ll be baking tomorrow. Love the pan. Happy snowy weekend to you.
Perfect!!! I just bought a multi heart pan and didn’t know what to make in it. Now I do.It’s snowing and blowing, the pets are sleeping,(so is the grouchy hubby) and I’m a happy girl!!
Tip toe into the kitchen!
Oh Susan, I need this lovely heart shaped muffin tin, so I can make these yummy biscuits, I always buy the chocolate orange (you know the one you crack and it becomes orange slice)..they actually had white chocolate oranges this year, equally yummy! Happy Valentines Day!!!!!!! and Thank you for the “love” musica!!
Oh Please let me be the lucky Valentine winner! I love that pan and as I was reading the recipe before getting to the surprise, all I could think is I need that pan ;0 Oh do let me be lucky!!!!! Thank you for the opportunity.
Love, love, love, the tin and pan!!! Can’t wait to make the biscuits! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
O Random Generator, pick me! My birthday is next week right after Valentines day so I have always considered it ‘my’ holiday. Hearts have always been my favorite shape too. I’m baking red velvet cupcakes for my family that day and putting hearts everywhere!
If you give your precious cast iron heart pan away, how will you ever make heart-shaped tea biscuits again? Tea will never be the same. Thank you for the gentle thoughts.
Oh I’m keeping my old one, I have a new one, the same exact one, to give away!
Oh Susan, you think of everything! You always inspire me to be more creative around my home and in the kitchen. Love the heart shaped pan and the recipe you shared just sounds and looks out of this world. Thanks for taking time to share some Valentine love with your girlfriends today!
Love from Texas~Donna
Thank you Susan for such an inspiring blog. I love seeing the latest and cutest decorating you have done in your beautiful home. As a fellow cat lover I also enjoy seeing Jack and Girl Kitty in the videos showing them playing and just being their adorable selves. The orange chocolate tea muffins recipe looks delicious, I will be making them for my family for valentines day-to show how much I love them! Then I will make some for my girlfriends to show them how much they mean to me on this special day! I made valentine cards for all of my children and their friends, plus made some goody bags to go with them. I’m sure they’ll all enjoy them immensely. Thanks again Susan for being such an inspiration. X0
You make the world a happier place . . . love it Shelley!
Thank you for sharing! I always look forward to this blog!
Love the heart-shaped baking pan and tin! And, isn’t the snow wonderful? We’ve finally gotten some too! The sun is shining and it sparkles like diamonds. Happy Valentine’s Day, Susan!
Happy almost Valentine’s Day to you and Joe,
I’m listening to the Chocolat Soundtrack by Rachel Portman on my iTunes, which by the way, also went well with reading this blog and fantasizing about the taste of the Orange and Chocolate Tea Biscuit … the flavor combination favorite of my husband who is always asking for my Dark Chocolates with Orange flavoring (spoiled man!) … although, yes, I do love listening to Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald too!
Blessings to the House of Creativity with Hearts and Flowers,
xoxo
I just listend to the the Paul McCartney song and, yes, I agree that it sounds very much like it was written for Linda. She was an amazing woman who took so much grief from people who were jealous of her. May she rest in peace and know that there are those of us that miss her being in the world today… ♥♥♥
I miss her for him too . . .
Thank you!
It snowed overnight here, too, and I am so glad that it is Saturday so that I could sit inside and enjoy the beauty instead of driving in it! The nesting instinct is taking over today. Put the Valentine plates on the plate rack in the kitchen, went through my crafts’ box to find a new project, started reading a new book. Now I have to go do some baking. Thank you for the inspiration! Have a lovely weekend!
Happy Valentines day to you! I will make you proud and make delicious muffins if I win that gorgeous pan!
As I sit here next to my sleeping basset hound, Dudley, and look at your photos of your darling GK and Jack and listen to Paul McCartney’s beautiful new song “Valentine” I do believe I am in Heaven or the closest thing to it here in this life.
xoxo!
That’s a pretty clever idea to spray those hearts on your windows using spray snow & a stencil. I’m going to file that idea away… :). And I do hope you’ll get more of the heart breakfast mugs in your shop. Most (or maybe all) of the Bridgewater mugs only hold 8 oz. I didn’t realize that this breakfast mug holds 1-1/2 cups!! That’s definitely on my “want” list. Have a happy one!!
They are coming soon! Yes, I love the breakfast mug because it’s bigger!
would love to make heart shaped muffins. is there a source for a cast iron pan like this? why don’t you have to butter the pan first? i am inspired to make something heart shaped for my special person 🙂 thanks for the blog. i love it.
patti
Because I love them, we carry them in our store — just click on the colored words at the bottom of the post and it will take you to it. You don’t have to butter it because of the butter, sour cream and cream cheese in the recipe. Glad you like the blog Patti!
so THAT’S where the snow is! I’ve been sitting in my window all morning, waiting for it to start. My loss, your gain! :-). I love the heart-shaped pan…it would be a great addition to my heart-shaped kitchen items – copper cookie cutters, wrought iron hooks, and some mysterious contraption with a heart on a handle that bends! And, of course, I’d use the pan as well – for biscuits, muffins, and tiny cakes… fingers crossed! X
Love, love, anything heart-shaped. Orange and chocolate? YUM!!
You are having a snowy day…how delightful. We have rain here, also delightful. The heart muffin pan has endless possiblities, cupcakes, muffins, biscuits all made with love the ones I love so much. Blessings to you.
Another yummy post to inspire me! Those heart-shaped biscuits look delightful ~ not just for Valentine’s Day, but for brunch or a spring tea … or just for me 🙂 Happy Valentine’s Day to you and Joe and your furry companions.
Happy VD Day Susan. I love the muffin pan and the tea cup. So here’s hoping my name is drawn out of the “magic hat”. Love you and your blog. I wrote you a letter years ago and you wrote back. When I got the mail and saw you had written, I started jumping up and down and screaming and my husband just looked at me and said, ” I wish I could get that kind of reaction out of you”. He was a bit miffed, so I had to settle down. But inside I was so happy. I still have the letter and I still admire you and all your charm. Thanks for sharing yourself with us.
LOL! Too cute. Tell him Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us!
Those biscuits look yummy! 🙂
Love your stories!
Maybe this time I’ll get lucky and get the muffin pan and the tin – would love them!
Hi Susan, The brownies sound so good!! Will also have to make the heart shaped cakes. You keep us craving all that good stuff. Happy Valentines Day to you.
The biscuits look delicious. I think they will be perfect at Easter, too, when we have our usual houseful. I envy you for your snow. I always hope for at least one nice snow each winter, but it is a rare happening here in the south. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Can hardly wait to make the orange/chocolate chip muffins. Our favorite flavor combo. It is such a joy to read and see your beautiful blog. Always leaves me with such a warm and comforting feeling. Thank you so much for being there.
Susan, Have you read Cat O’Nine Tales by Veronica Leigh? It is still available on Amazon and it is one of my all-time favorite reads. The cat on the cover looks a bit like Miss Kitty. However, the cat in the story is a male named Boris. He likes the top of the refrigerator or sitting on a pop-up toaster, warm from being used. If you are a cat person or one is owned by a cat, you will enjoy this book. Another favorite author is Doreen Tovey. Her two cats, Solomon and Sheba are delightful. Not sure if any of her books are still available. All this being said, thank you so very much for your videos of Jack and Miss Kitty. Just one request, keep them coming.
OK!
Snow, snow spray valentines on the windows, red and pink and hearts and ruffles on the walls, kitties in black and white, tea biscuits right out of the oven, and Louis and Ella on a Saturday morning! Like visiting the very warm home of very warm hearted friends, which, in a sense, I suppose it is. I’m reading Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman, a book I would most heartily recomments to any dedicated zealot book lover. It’s essays, perfect reading with a wonderful cup of tea and one of these wonderful — dare I say ‘scone’s? Is there a difference between a tea biscuit and a scone?
I love any thing heart shaped especially if it can be eaten. A bitter cold day in Texas think I will go make tea biscuits even if not heart shaped. Thanks for all your good recipes.
Can hardly wait to make the orange/chocolate chip muffins. Our favorite flavor combo. It is such a joy to read and see your beautiful blog. Always leaves me with such a warm and comforting feeling. Thank you so much for being there.
My apologies for error in my post. My editor likes to sleep in on Saturdays.
I ♥ that muffin pan!!! It would look great as functional kitchen decor. The best valentine’s gift I ever got was my oldest son. He was born on Feb 13th just a couple hours shy of valentine’s day.
Pretty good present!
Hi Susan,
I just wanted to tell you that you have given me a wonderful Valentine tradition all these years. I use your recipe for the heart-shaped chocolate chip cookie to make my sons their Valentine treat each year. They are now age 33 and 29 but I still make these giant cookies for them! Thanks for a wonderful idea and I look forward to continuing this tradition for a grandchild some day (hope!).
The traditions are the best of all! I’m sure your boys look forward to it!!
Happy Valentine’s Day! Smelling of oranges and chocolate
makes me happy in the winter. =)
Absolutely love the heart shaped pan, Emma tin and biscuit recipe sounds lovely and have to make them! What a wonderful combination. Love watching the video of Girl kitty, Jack and the snowy day….thanks for sharing and for a little dose of happiness! Happy Valentines Day to all!
-thanks for bringing love and sweetness to my Saturday morning – oops – afternoon 🙂 ! It’s chilly and bright here in Texas. Mmmmm . . . can taste the yummy orange and melting chocolate chips – and I LOVE the cute heart pan! So simple – what a treat – thank you for including us in the fun!! – janet
Ok. That cat on top of the fridge has got to be the cutest looking cat ever. Of all time.
Those tea biscuits look soooo good! Thank you for the recipe. I love the heart pan and cute tin. Have a good weekend, Susan! Hugs from Barbara in Cumming, GA
Yes love jack kitty. Just want to grab and kiss him. You have snow we have rain here on the central coast. Went out for our walk made it to the third mile before it started to come down ever sew lightly. Was kinda refreshing. Love your heart pan. enjoy your day!
JK Pipes
Thanks for the recipe and the music. What a nice way to start a Saturday!!
Oh, those look too yummy for words and to have the joy of baking them with snow falling outside your window…I am beyond envious, slipping into covetousness! I will keep fingers and toes crossed in the hopes I win the muffin tin. In the meantime, I will have to make do with the 50s+ we’re having here in sunny, never gets any snow, Florida and maybe some fresh strawberries grown locally. Every place has its perks. 🙂 Thanks for sharing so many of your blessings. >i<
Happy Valentine’s Day! Watching Jack lying atop your refrigerator gave me quite a laugh on this dark and snowy day. Would love the heart muffin tin to use for baking with my 3 year old granddaughter, M !
Thank you for your generosity and always thinking of your readers – it is so sweet!
Happy Valentine’s Day, Susan, and thanks for the treat of a new yummy recipe! Your blog always makes my day 🙂
Would love to have that heart shaped muffin tin! Those tea biscuits look yummy, too! Thanks for sharing!
Love is in the air at the House of Creativity! How charming you put hearts in the front windows of your home for passers by.
I have made your cream tea biscuits before —Yummy! Is this the same recipe I believe was in a magazine?
I’m making beef stew for dinner tonight and need to make bread for the week. We don’t have snow here in VA but it is chilly and just the kind of day I love spending in the kitchen.
Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone and to you Susan and Joe! ♥
Very much like it — the one I think you’re talking about didn’t have sugar — was more savory, with black pepper. Thank you Martha!
Oh yes Susan–it was savory! Thank you sweetie!
What a darling valentine! Dear friends are the best. 🙂 Happy Valentine’s to you, dear Susan!
yay! – a Breakfast Book coming soon! I just “got to know you” right before Christmas. My husband surprised my with “Heart of Home”, “Summer” and “Love” under the tree. I have been reading ever since and now have “Vineyard Seasons”, 2 recipe binders, and “Days” journal!!! SO MUCH FUN! How did I not know about this?! My sister and I met last weekend to be with our older sister who’s husband is suffering from pancreatic cancer – during our overnight visit we discovered we both have been reading your cute things – how fun we understand your sweet “Susanisms” that bring so much color to our lives – thank you, Susan. – janet
*love the wonderful Ella and Louie music – I danced with my older son at his wedding to Louie’s “what a wonderful world” – sweet memories . . . . .
Great song!! So nice to meet you Janet!
happy to be along on the ride with you girls!
Mmmmmmmmmmm………. yum!! I adore orange & chocolate too!!!! We have snowy, blowy snow today also…. my Sugar kitty is sitting at the window watching the snow fall!!! 🙂
Susan this post is awesome!!! I have made a similar recipe in the past for chocolate chip muffins and my kids LOVED them.. they were easier and faster than cookies and a special treat when they got home from school.. oh, those were the days!! 🙂 … I LOVE everything hearts!! they make me so happy and they are so romantic!.. It is funny but my hubs and I took our vacation to Wisconsin Door County this past fall and had the most wonderful time eating and wine-tasting our way through that beautiful area!… Love old houses and your video was great, especially the creaking of the kitchen doors! Don’t you love that!.. Well, just taking a quick break from work.. better back at it! Crossing my fingers on winning this beautiful prize!! Have a wonderful day Susan and all the GF’S!!
I noticed that creak in the video . . . a little bit loud — was afraid it sounded a little “haunted-house.” 🙂
It just means they are well loved and broken in good!! ! <3
Have you noticed that people who cook and bake don’t need expanses of granite counter tops or stainless steel appliances? All you need is a space to set the bowl and pan, an outlet nearby and a reliable stove. I was admiring your bread board. It looked just like the one in the house I grew up in, well used which meant lots of good meals and tasty treats. Your counter tops with the metal edges and formica tops speak to my heart. Memories of my dad experimenting away with a twist on an old recipe coming up with new favorite (my mom didn’t cook because Dad loved to). Our little kitchen was just about big enough to turn around in and was always filled with love and people. Thanks for the gentle Saturday morning treat.
I didn’t change this house too much! 🙂 for better or for worse, I like it the way it is.
I love that you are having some snow. We had some here too, earlier, but the wind has blown away nearly all traces, although there are still periods of flurries.
What a lovely idea for tea! I will certainly use this recipe! Thank you so much!
This would be a wonderful giveaway to win. There are quite a few of us out here who would like to be the lucky one this time.:-)
A wonderful Valentine’s Day to you and Joe. Give Jack and Girl Kitty an extra pat on the head for me! xoxo
Happy Valentine’s Day Susan & Joe, we too had big, fluffy snow flakes sifting down this morning. I quick too a few pictures because it was sticking to every tree branch and bush and looked so pretty. Perfect timing with those scones because my sister and I are having a girlfriends tea party on the 21st and I think they will look impressive on a plate ~ the scones silly, not the girlfriends. Anyway, I took your idea of the Christmas window decorating with the string and tiny clothes pins and hung paper heart doilies along the string in place of the snowflakes. Maybe in March I’ll hang paper shamrocks, Easter paper eggs and so on and so forth. lol What fun is that! You keep giving me ideas and I’ll sharer them with everyone I know. Hugs and lots of love go your way Kiddo…..
Susan,
You make everything so magical!!
Thank you Shannon! We need a little magic sometimes!
Mmmmm…No chocolate chips but I do have some Trader Joe dried cranberries ,so I will experiment with those….Tea biscuits for Sunday morning brunch!!!
They’ll be wonderful!